Horses are struck and killed by traffic near AC

One horse was killed and another had to be humanely destroyed after they were struck by highway traffic near Ark City early Wednesday morning.

Around 6 a.m., authorities received a report that a woman driving in the northbound lane had struck a horse near the intersection of 322nd Rd. and U.S. 77 highway. The woman was pinned in her vehicle for a time but was not injured.

The horse involved in that accident was killed.

That crash was investigated by the Kansas Highway Patrol.

About five minutes later, the Cowley County Sheriff’s Dept., investigated a second accident called in when a man driving in the southbound lanes hit another horse. That driver also was uninjured.

A horse struck in that accident was put down after it was evaluated by a local veterinarian who recommended it be euthanized, undersheriff Bill Mueller said.

Mueller said a total of four horses, owned by Mitch Kloxin, had escaped a fenced-in area near the highway. A third horse was seriously injured and was taken by Kloxin to Oklahoma for treatment.

The fourth horse was uninjured.

The horses were high-quality animals that were enclosed in a sturdy and well-maintained fence, Mueller said. It is possible a gate had been left open by mistake and the animals were able to wander out, he said.